Child of the TARDIS
by Moonlit Water Sunny River
Summary: Melody Pond is a child of the TARDIS, but what does that mean? Set during Let's Kill Hitler, references The Doctor's Wife, A Good Man Goes to War.


**So this is my first attempt at Doctor Who fanfiction…I hope it's not too terrible. It takes place during 'Let's Kill Hitler' which, despite its weirdness, is one of my favourite episodes. It also heavily references my OTHER favourite episode – 'The Doctor's Wife'!**

**I thought maybe branching out into other fandoms might be good practice – I feel like some of my FMA stuff is getting stale. But don't worry, I am NOT abandoning any of my stories **

**Child of the TARDIS**

The key was warm in Melody's hand, and she gripped it tightly as she pressed against the door she'd just unlocked. It was the Doctor's warmth. The Doctor.

God, she hated that name.

With a sigh, she stepped into the TARDIS, through the amber eaves and golden arches and up the glowing coral steps to the console that now held no sign of the damage she'd wreaked.

"His own fault," she muttered, glancing at the door, and then tearing her gaze away. He was done for now. She'd done what she was born to do. There was no time for childish fantasies now.

Yet now, Melody was faced with an unintelligible jumble of levers, buttons and dials. "What the hell am I supposed to do with this?"

His words came back to her. _You are a child of the TARDIS, River._

"It's a _machine!" _she hissed, giving it a spiteful kick. "It's a time machine – very nice, very clever – but what on earth is a child of the TARDIS?" She snorted. "Probably something to do with River again. River, River, River. Will he ever shut up about River?"

She considered, and then smirked. "Okay, give it another minute and he will." She wasn't jealous – of course she wasn't. The Doctor was attractive, that was a fact, but she had a greater purpose, which she'd now completed.

So there was nothing wrong with fulfilling his last wish. Saving her own parents. And she _did _have a soft spot for them, after all.

If only – she – could – figure – out – how!

Melody grabbed the first lever she saw, one with a cherry-red handle and a faint glow. Everything in here had its own light, probably another Time Lord trick.

Yet, as her fingers wrapped around the palm-sized joystick, there was another light – equally faint, but a powdery, dusty blue that clung to the skin of her hand.

She released the handle. The blue disappeared.

Moving away from the lever, she put down her hand and accidentally leant on three buttons in a row. There was a sudden noise and jolt, and she fell forward with a shriek, grabbing yet another lever. It made a 'clank' as it slid down, and Melody stared at it in horror.

"Oh God."

_Oh, don't be such a worrier, child. _The lever snapped back into place, taking Melody's hand with it and pulling her back upright. _Honestly! You're not going to blow me up! Well, you might. You will – no, you have. Hold on, hold on, not yet. You're very confusing. This is even worse than normal. Anyway, it wasn't your fault._

"Wh-what?" Melody managed to stutter out, looking around. She was perfectly alone, although in a place this size, who knew?

_Oh yes, hello, darling! I learned that word last time! Isn't it wonderful? I haven't had anyone to talk to since I was…alive. _Even in the ethereal voice that came from everywhere and nowhere, there was a bittersweet sadness that was obvious even to Melody, who didn't exactly pride herself on her empathy. _But that's over now. So sad. But now you're here! I've been so desperate to meet you!_

"Yeah, uh, who are you?" Melody kept looking around. "Is this a telepathic communicator or something? Because I can't see you."

_You're standing in me, love. Your feet tickle, by the way. I never figured that out until recently._

"Wh-what?"

_I'm the TARDIS._

Melody groaned. Talking machines. She'd already known Time Lords were crazy but this was just the icing on the cake. "You're…the TARDIS?"

_Yes, I am! Will be – no, I've always been the TARDIS._

"And you can talk."

_No I can't._

"Yes you can! You're talking to me right now!"

The sadness came again. _Yes, but you're the only one who can._

"Because I'm a…" Melody thought back to the Doctor – dying on the banquet hall floor. "…a child of the TARDIS?"

_Yes!_

"_Your _child?"The words had a completely different import now she knew the machine was sentient. Melody suddenly got a rather unpleasant image of Rory and the TARDIS, and then made a face.

_Yes, darling. Oh, I've longed to finally meet you…I've never had a child before._

Melody smiled, although it came out as more of a grimace. "Great. Just when I thought my heritage was messed up enough."

_Don't be silly! You were conceived inside of me –_

"Not. What. I. Want. To. Hear."

_and that means you're part TARDIS!_

She had to laugh, although it came out close to a sob. "I'm part _time machine? _Are you _serious?_"

_Yes, of course I'm serious. Why wouldn't I be? Although you should know I'm much, much more than a time machine. Time and Relative Dimensions in Space, thank you very much._

Melody nodded. She really didn't care. "Okay. I need to save Amy and Rory."

_Of course, of course! Disengage the grounding mechanism, pull the zigzag plotter, press the blue stabilizers, and enter the coordinates into the scanner._

Melody raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a Time Lord, TARDIS."

_Oh, my name's Sexy. And – oh, must I explain everything? _The blue light reappeared at the end of the lever and flowed down Melody's arm. She swatted at it.

"Stop that!"

_I'm just showing you what to do. Will show you. Am showing you. Have shown you. Agh, tenses._

The pictures flowed into her mind – the grounding mechanism was _there – _the zigzag plotter was _there _(but her back had to be to the door and three paces to the left) – the blue stabilizers were _here _(and that naughty thief never used them) – and for the coordinates, she just had to –

"Imagine them. Psychic link," murmured Melody in wonder.

_Of course, it's a little rough. I'm supposed to have six pilots, but what can you do? _

Melody followed the voice's instructions to the letter, and then closed her eyes. _Amy. Mother. _The word didn't feel right. Amy wasn't her mother – not really.

_My best friend. One of the boys. A little bit nuts, even if she doesn't admit it. Has really sharp teeth and doesn't hesitate to use them. _A smile crept onto her face as she poured her best memories of Amy into the psychic link. _Waits for me every time, even if just to lecture me. Rolls her eyes like…that. Scottish as all get-out. Sometimes eats fish fingers and custard. Bossy boots. Loud._

_Rory. Father. _That one was slightly easier to stomach – only slightly. _Silly Rory. Patient Rory. Runaway Rory. Skinny, happy, doormat Rory. Terrified of me and Amy, but he likes it. Stammers. Dedicated. He helps people – protects people – that's what he does, every day of his life. _There was a sudden pang as Melody realized what a disappointment she must be – then resolutely pushed it away. It wasn't like he'd _raised _her.

_We're here, love. _Melody opened her eyes, then moved around the console, trailing her hands along the dashboard.

"Doctor, you did it!"

Again with the guilt. They hadn't programmed her well enough.

Before she walked into eyeshot of her parents, she leaned into the console and whispered, "Do you hate me?"

_Why, no! Why would I do that?_

"I killed your thief," she hissed. "I killed him."

The TARDIS laughed. _No, you didn't. You haven't. You won't. You don't._

Even though she knew it was a lie, her heart warmed at the words. The Doctor might live. Somehow – even though she'd chosen the one poison he couldn't escape. The Doctor might live. That made her happy. It shouldn't. But it did.

_Be safe, my love._

"Don't be silly…Mother." The word was strange on her lips – but she liked it. "I don't do safe."

_And I wouldn't expect anything less. I love you._

Melody's cheeks burned, and she said nothing more, turning her eyes to the people she'd saved. It would be a long time before she had the security in herself and the person she'd just become before she could return those words…even if she already instinctively returned them.

_I love you, too._


End file.
